More reasons for Mexico

I recently did one of the million tests that explain who you really are … you know the, never mind what you thought, this is the honest truth type of study. Not surprisingly, it revealed that I like to think I am perfect and get upset when people tell me I am wrong. But who doesn’t? I mean, come on! I might hate criticism, but do you know anyone who really likes it?

Can you even imagine the following,
Sara: “Hey, Alice, you suck at your job!”
Alice: “Thanks for telling me, Sara! I feel so much better now that I know that.”

Ah, yeah, not going to happen. Anyway, the study also told me I dont know myself well. Hmmm. First reaction: Does anyone really know themselves well? Second reaction: offended. Super offended. I have just spent an entire year doing nothing but trying to figure that out. I mean, come on, I surely must have some level of self-awareness, right? So, just to prove the study wrong, I am going to admit another realization about my reasons for living abroad in Mexico. (And these are serious.)

I live abroad because it is easier to be special in a foreign country. I admit it. I love the attention. I love being noticed. And it is easier to feel successful here. Here, despite being in a city of 24 million people, I feel like I am a “big fish in a little pond” instead of being a little fish in a big tank full of gringos similar to me. In Mexico City, I am different. And yes, I love it. So, there you have it. Honesty. Knowing myself.

In fact, I secretly wonder if all people who live abroad don’t have this same ego-driven reason deep down for living in a foreign land. Can I hypothesize that the “Expat” crowd is really just a bunch of ego-massaging, attention-seeking people opposed to the real challenge of being special in their home countries? Hmmm …. Oh expat friends, I call on you for your opinions here!

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2 Responses to “More reasons for Mexico”

This reminds me of a theory my husband came up with: “All American Expats in Mexico are weird.” I think it’s true, to a degree. We’re all weird in some way. (And we know people are are REALLY weird.) The weirdness spectrum varies. But you have to be a little bit weird to leave your homeland for a foreign country.

My reasons for moving here were ego-driven, too. I wanted to learn Spanish. I guess that speaks to the “feeling special” thing?